Application to form single CCG in Shropshire to be submitted within weeks
The final application to form a single organisation responsible for buying health services for people across Shropshire is expected to be made by the end of the month.
Plans to dissolve both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups to form a new single organisation for the county is expected to happen by next April, if given the go-ahead by NHS bosses.
However, if the plans don't get the green light a single management team will be set up anyway to work across both organisations, a recent meeting of Shropshire CCG's board was told.
David Stout, accountable officer for Shropshire CCG, told a meeting on Wednesday that plans to recruit a single accountable officer are progressing and a recommendation has been made to NHS England of a preferred candidate.
The CCG is expecting a response this month.
The final application to NHS England is expected to be submitted at the end of September.
Mr Stout said executives from both CCGs are also meeting weekly to oversee the process.
But he also told the meeting that it should not be taken for granted that this is a 'done deal'.
Mr Stout said: "It's not a trivial matter for us simply to put an application in and all will be agreed.
"We are being properly and appropriately tested through this process to ensure there is confidence both of our membership but also of our regulators that we are proceeding with a sound and effective plan.
"The plan B, so what happens if we don't get approval at this point, well we will proceed to establish a single management team anyway, and that single management team will work across the two CCGs in that circumstance.
"We believe that's a suboptimal solution and would be a less effective way of achieving the same goals, but that's our alternative and we will do that regardless."
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs need to make cuts of 20 per cent to running costs to save £1.2 million.
Health bosses say the creation of a single body is to support the ambition of the NHS Long Term Plan, however the proposals have been met with controversy.
Concerns have been raised about Shropshire CCG's scaling deficit.
Other fears have been voiced that conversations involving Telford would be 'watered down' under the control of a single organisation.
Some say such changes should also be subject to public consultation, but CCG bosses say they have taken legal advice and it is not required.
